The Girl with the Weight of the World in Her Hands -- Indigo Girls
This version has corrected bass note timing in Intro/Verse riff, corrected E chord
names in first verse, more accurate D9/F# riff, plus tabbed riff to Chorus lead-in
and complete Chorus tab. Enjoy!
CAPO 2. Full finger-picking. See tab for picking patterns & riffs.
A A6 A A6
She won't recover from her losses
A A6 A A+
She's not chosen this path, but she watches who it crosses
D9 D9/C# D9/B E
Maybe move to the right, maybe move to the left
Asus2 Asus2/G# D9/F#
So we can all see her pain she wears like a banner on her chest
E Esus E Esus
And we all say it's sad, and we think it's a shame
Asus2 Asus2/G# D9/F#
And she's called to our attention, but we do not call her name
E Esus E (to half intro)
The girl with the weight of the world in her hands
'Cause we're busy with our happiness, and busy with our plans
I wonder if alone she wants it taken from her hands
But if things didn't keep getting harder
She might miss her sacred chance to go a consecrated martyr
E Esus E A9 (see transit. riff)
The girl with the weight of the world in her hands
D9 D9/C# D9/B E
I wonder which saint that lives inside a bead
Asus2 Asus2/G# D9/F#
Will grant her consolation when she counts upon her need
D9 D9/C# D9/B E
It makes us all angry, though we feign to care
Asus2 Asus2/G# D9/F#
But who will be the scale to weigh the cross she has to bear?
E Esus E
The girl with the weight of the world in her hands (to half intro)
"Is the glass half full or empty?" I ask her as I fill it. She says
"it doesn't really matter, pretty soon you're bound to spill it"
With the half-logic language of the sermon she delivers
And the way she smiles so knowingly at me gives me the shivers
The girl with the weight of the world in her hands (trans. to chorus)
Chorus, then full intro. Slow finish, strumming A.
(Intro = first 8 bars. Hint: mash down the 4 treble strings at the second fret to
play A; it leaves your other fingers free to play the hammer-ons)
A A6 A A6
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------2-----|------2-------2-|----------2-----|------2-------2-|
--------2-------|--2-------2-----|--------2-------|--2-------2-----|
----2---------2h|4-----------4---|----2---------2h|4-----------4---|
0-------0---0---|----0---0-------|0-------0---0---|----0---0-------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
She won't recover from her losses. She's not
A A6 A A+
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------2-----|------2-------2-|----------2-----|------2-------2-|
--------2-------|--2-------2-----|--------2-------|--2-------2-----|
----2---------2h|4-----------4---|----2---------2h|3-----------3---|
0-------0---0---|----0---0-------|0-------0---0---|----0---0-------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
chosen this path, but she watches who it crosses. Maybe move
D9 D9/C# D9/B E
----------0-----|----------0-----|----------------|----------0-----|
------3-------3-|------3-------3-|----------3-----|--------------0-|
----2-------2---|----2-------2---|------2-------2-|------1---------|
0-------0-------|----------------|----0-------0---|----2-------2---|
----------------|4-------4-------|2-------2-------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|0-------0-------|
to the right, maybe move to the left, so we can all
Asus2 Asus2/G# D9/F#
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------0-----|----------0-----|----------3-----|----------3-----|
------2-------2-|------2-------2-|------2-------2-|------2-------2-|
----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
0-------0-------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|4-------4-------|2-------2-------|2-------2-------|
see her pain she wears like a banner on her chest. And we
E Esus E Esus
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------0-----|------0-------0-|----------0-----|------0-------0-|
------1-------1-|--2-------2-----|------1-------1-|--2-------2-----|
----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|
----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|
all say it's sad, and we think it's a shame. And she's
Asus2 Asus2/G# D9/F#
----------------|----------------|--------------0-|----------------|
----------0-----|------0---------|----------3-----|--3-------3-----|
------2-------2-|---------2----2-|------2---------|------2-------2-|
----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
0-------0-------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|4-------4-------|2-------2-------|2-------2-------|
called to our attention, but we do not call her name. The
E Esus E
----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------0-----|--0-------0-----|----------0-----|
------1-------1-|------2-------2-|------1-------1-|
----2-------2---|----2-------2---|--2---------2---|
----------------|----------------|----------------|
0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|
girl with the weight of the world in her hands.
(Play first half of Intro, then 2nd verse)
Transition to Chorus: ----------------|-----0----------|
----------0-----|0h2------2---2--|
------2-------2-|-----------2----|
----2-------2---|-------0--------|
0-------0-------|---0------------|
----------------|----------------|
Chorus:
D9 D9/C# D9/B E
----------0-----|----------0-----|----------------|------0---------|
------3-------3-|------3-------3-|----------3-----|----------0-----|
----2-------2---|----2-------2---|------2-------2-|--------------1-|
0-------0-------|----------------|----0-------0---|----2-------2---|
----------------|4-------4-------|2-------2-------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|0-------0-------|
I wonder which saint that lives inside a bead Will
Asus2 Asus2/G# D9/F#
----------------|------0---------|--------------0-|----------------|
----------0-----|----------------|----------3-----|--3-------3-----|
------2-------2-|----2-----2---2-|------2---------|------2-------2-|
----2-------2---|--2---------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
0-------0-------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|4-------4-------|2-------2-------|2-------2-------|
grant her consolation when she counts up-on her need
----------0-----|----------0-----|----------------|----------------|
------3-------3-|------3-------3-|----------3-----|----------0-----|
----2-------2---|----2-------2---|------2-------2-|------1-------1-|
0-------0-------|----------------|----0-------0---|----2-------2---|
----------------|4-------4-------|2-------2-------|----------------|
----------------|----------------|----------------|0-------0-------|
It makes us all angry, though we feign to care But
----------------|----------------|--------------0-|----------------|
----------0-----|----------0-----|----------3-----|--3-------3-----|
------2-------2-|------2-------2-|------2---------|------2-------2-|
----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----0-------0---|----0-------0---|
0-------0-------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------------|4-------4-------|2-------2-------|2-------2-------|
who will be the scale to weigh the cross she has to bear? The
E Esus E
----------------|----------------|----------------|
----------0-----|----------0-----|----------0-----|
------1-------1-|------2-------2-|------1-------1-|
----2-------2---|----2-------2---|--2---------2---|
----------------|----------------|----------------|
0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|
girl with the weight of the world in her hands.